Containers or tanks are commonly used on sport and commercial fishing vessels to keep baitfish and caught fish alive. Bait tanks may be designed to hold large volumes of fluid or water such as several hundred gallons of water. These bait tanks typically are open or non-partitioned containers that allow water stored therein to churn when fishing vessels are subjected to directional changes or vertical motions such as those caused by steering a vessel, navigating surf, and/or maneuvering shifting tidal currents. These bait tanks are usually fed through a pump that continuously circulates new water and includes a drain for removing the old water with metabolic waste to the exterior water source.
Baitfish that are kept in these conventional bait tanks are exposed to adverse conditions including, for example, exposure to circulating currents from the pump and exposure to the churning currents that result from the directional changes and/or vertical motions of the fishing vessel. The baitfish expend considerable amounts of energy breathing and swimming under these adverse conditions. By the time fishing vessels equipped with conventional bait tanks arrive at fishing destinations, many baitfish are exhausted or deceased. The deceased baitfish are discarded to avoid fouling the tank water. The exhausted baitfish are ineffective at attracting desired predators because they produce minimal splashing and movement when bridled to a hook. This leaves only a minority of the original baitfish having sufficient energy to attract desired predators.
One drawback of conventional bait tanks is that baitfish become exhausted and may die due to adverse condition such as changing current flows. Another drawback of conventional bait tanks is that any surviving baitfish are typically exhausted and disoriented, which are not desired qualities for attracting predators. Other drawbacks exist.
Baitfish that are kept in these conventional bait tanks are exposed to adverse conditions including, for example, exposure to circulating currents from the pump and exposure to the churning currents that result from the directional changes and/or vertical motions of the fishing vessel. The baitfish expend considerable amounts of energy breathing and swimming under these adverse conditions. By the time fishing vessels equipped with conventional bait tanks arrive at fishing destinations, many baitfish are exhausted or deceased. The deceased baitfish are discarded to avoid fouling the tank water. The exhausted baitfish are ineffective at attracting desired predators because they produce minimal splashing and movement when bridled to a hook. This leaves only a minority of the original baitfish having sufficient energy to attract desired predators.
One drawback of conventional bait tanks is that baitfish become exhausted and may die due to adverse condition such as changing current flows. Another drawback of conventional bait tanks is that any surviving baitfish are typically exhausted and disoriented, which are not desired qualities for attracting predators. Other drawbacks exist.